New York has led the way in promoting social rights in the United States. The passing of the Family Leave policy in April 2016 is the latest evidence of this. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Family Leave program into law so that both men and women who have worked for any New York employer for 26 consecutive weeks, regardless of the size of the business, will be entitled to take eight weeks of paid leave at 50% of their usual weekly pay. They can use this leave to care for a new child, a family member with a health condition, or to help family when one member is called up to military service. The establishment of paid family leave is viewed as a landmark act. It will help workers to enjoy financial benefits and job protection while they take necessary time off work.

Facebook is inescapable. We have it on our phones and our computers. We’re constantly sent notifications for incessant friend requests. We need to face it, Facebook has become omniscient.

Until a few years ago, this might have been merely distracting. Facebook was seen as a social diversion or as just another website employers might need to prohibit access to. Now, however, Facebook’s creeping power has extended to news. When users log in, their News Feed shows them bulletin highlights. On a surface level, this might appear perfectly reasonable and convenient for users. Look closely, however, and we discover that the company has been cherry picking media and manipulating what users see in their News Feeds.

On May 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor updated their rules on overtime pay. This could end up affecting more than four million workers nationwide. The rule changes the standard for determining which workers are eligible for overtime pay under the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA governs both public and private workers.

People have been living in Georgia since it was founded as an English colony in 1773. That means there are Georgia laws that potentially date back to 1733. That said, it’s impossible to avoid having some older laws on the books—even if these law might not make sense to us in 2016. And Georgia’s not alone. All states have these types of laws.

EEOC v. Georgia Power Company proved that the Equal Employment Oppor­tunity Commission (EEOC) will pursue action against companies that discriminate against disabled employees. This case alleged Georgia Power Company breached federal law by disallowing employees to return to work following treatment for medical conditions. Georgia Power also refused to hire disabled applicants or those whom they perceived as disabled.

Americans are struggling economically. As a result, 2016 Presidential campaigns address citizens’ grievances as a central part of their campaign platforms.

Workers claim corporations are greedy. They say big companies make business decisions that focus on profits over paying fair wages and benefits. Specifically, they complain that jobs are being sent overseas to workers who will work for less. In response, corporations argue that they’re just responding to the realities of a global economy. They say they must have the flexibility to make business decisions that keep them competitive. This is the central fight between Verizon’s union workers currently on strike and the telecommunications giant.

As the holiday season approaches, employees will be turning their attention towards taking time off for their summer vacations. At the same time, their employers will already be considering how they will balance the needs of their employees with ensuring that they have enough people in the office or on the shop floor. During the vacation season, their employers will be concerned about coping with fewer workers than usual, and that business might be negatively affected.

The E-Verify program is a key component of employment law in the United States. Why? Federal law obliges all companies to ensure that only citizens of the United States (or foreign citizens who have received the requisite legal authorization to work in the country) are able to take up jobs in America. Although the United States is unparalleled when it comes to its diversity, this does sometimes invite problems concerning unauthorized employment. The E-Verify system directly addresses these problems. In addition, it is Internet based—meaning that companies are able to quickly process applications. This helps them determine whether their employees, or their potential employees, have the legal right to work in the country.

For more than 30 years, the lawyers at Parks, Chesin & Walbert have been committed to representing clients in a wide array of litigation matters, including constitutional disputes, employment discrimination, civil rights, class actions, government contracting, and catastrophic injury cases.